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How many tasks seem to reappear day after day on your TO DO list? How many inspiring projects are left on your dream list or your bucket list, reminding you year after year that you have failed to achieve them? The number one reason for procrastination is some form of FEAR. Usually if we get really honest about why something has not been completed one of the following reasons will surface:

1) Mere boredom and lack of interest in the task itself. Eg. preparing for or doing your taxes! Unless you’re an accountant tax season can be stressful and cause great anxiety for many people. You would rather clean your bathroom floor than get to the taxes.

A form of procrastination is to do anything else BUT the task at hand. Some people will have dialogues in their minds convincing themselves that there is a better time to do the task. That they deserve a break today because it was a hard day at work so perhaps after some RnR the mental readiness will suddenly reveal itself! Sorry but unless you can pay someone to tackle your taxes the best way to get over this form of procrastination is to just dive in and do it!

Make an agreement with yourself that after each half hour of working on your taxes you will take a break and do something fun. Just make sure to get back to the taxes! You could also make a list of the top 3 reasons you will feel good about doing/completing your taxes. Keep those in front of you, visible. Think about how you can make this boring task more fun? Perhaps you can listen to your favorite music as you delve into your pile of receipts. A glass of wine or your favorite dessert? Or just the simple reminder that once you get it off your list, you will be FREE to move on with your life!

2) Fear of Doing it WRONG – let’s face it we are not perfect. So many of our tasks are untouched because for some reason we feel we have to do it perfectly right so until we know all about the topic, have done our research and are an expert in the field, the project will sit idle.

The remedy here is to give yourself a break! Be honest about where you think you need help vs where you think you can contribute without assistance. Focus on your strengths and approach the people in your life for help or advice. Generally if you are clear about what it is you are trying to accomplish, people will be more than helpful. If someone says No it’s usually because you haven’t been clear enough in your request for help OR you are asking for too much. Make it easy for people to say YES to you.

3) Fear of Success – believe it or not many projects and dreams are mere fantasies because of one’s fear of success. If I actually do something about this dream then people will expect me to finish it and what parts of my life will change if this really takes off? Do I want this type of responsibility in making an impact or would I rather remain in my comfort zone where things are safe and predictable? This is where you have to get connected to who you are and what really makes you happy. If a dream sits on your list and you realize on your death bed…what if…I did something about this? Well, you decide if you will be in a place of happiness and inner peace…Also, when you realize that our unique gifts and talents are meant to serve others you will feel less apprehension in taking some action.

4) Fear of Failure – this is the number one FEAR that holds us back from any task, goal, or life dream. Imagine how we project the result of failure into our dream when we haven’t even started to do anything about it. We project our fear into our dream and we become paralyzed. Nothing gets done. Our doubts can be deeply ingrained in us and they can shatter our dreams. We carry this false evidence because on some level we just think and visualize how horrific it would be to fail.We focus and give our energy and attention to the failing rather than to the learning and healthy challenge of the journey.

Failure is a prerequiste to Success. Through failure we learn, we grow, we understand. But who thinks you are going to fail? It is soley your thought and thoughts can be empowering instead of limiting. Write out a dialogue between your doubter voice and your dreamer voice. You might be surprised as to the real reasons behind your procrastination.

5) Feeling of Anxiety or Overwhelm – usually the feeling of anxiety is due to one of the above mentioned reasons. However sometimes the task is so large that having it sit on a to do list creates overwhelm. For eg. My dream for 2010 is to write my first book. WoW! How long will that dream keep showing up on future Dream Lists because the process in writing a book is exactly that! A process. A step by step project. Break down the task into viable and attainable steps. Clearly identify the intention of each step and celebrate the completion of each step which will give you momentum in following through to the end.

Procrastination creates feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and dis-ease. Why do this to yourself and carry such a heavy load? Take some time to look at the tasks that reappear, the dreams that show up again and again, year after year. If something is important take the time to dig a bit deeper and find out what is holding you back. Procrastination serves a purpose. We all face procrastination but through practice and honest evaluation, we can overcome and manage it and even start to see how we actually need it in our own development and self discovery.

In Lightness…
~blusapphire

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